Al-Ittihad’s World Cup warm-up ends with Damac defeat

JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad warmed up for the FIFA Club World Cup in disappointing fashion with a 3-1 defeat at Damac on Thursday. It was not the best performance from the Roshn Saudi League champions who were without the injured Karim Benzema and Romarinho, though midfielder N’Golo Kante returned to the starting eleven.

The Jeddah club came to Damac on the back of three consecutive wins under new coach Marcelo Gallardo, appointed last month, but now slip further off the pace at the top of the table. They are still in fourth and a full 13 points behind leaders Al-Hilal who have a game in hand.

Damac took an early lead through in-form striker Georges-Kevin Nkouduo for the Cameroonian’s 12th goal of the season. The focus may have been on the injury to Benzema, and Nkouduo showed the benefits of having a fit and in-form striker.

He took possession on the halfway line, sprinted past Luis Felipe, who seemed to pull a hamstring, and then raced free down the left. Taking on Omar Hawsawi, he then fired an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. It was the goal of a top-class striker in excellent form.

The Tigers were struggling to create chances and almost fell further behind just after the half hour. Damac really should have extended their lead. A left-sided free-kick found Farouk Chafai unmarked at the near post. Yet somehow, the Algerian defender headed wide from mere inches out.

The hosts were almost made to pay for their wastefulness immediately. Muhannad Al-Shanqiti broke free on the right side of the area and the substitute, an early replacement for the injured Felipe, shot at the near post only for Mohammed Al-Mahasneh to make the save.

Suddenly it was end-to-end with Domagoj Antolic heading a Nkouduo cross just over